Centre Block reno still on track, but pandemic has added costs on Hill rehab, delayed other work

Construction in Centre Block’s rehabilitation remains on schedule, officials say, but the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed work on several dozen projects in other buildings across the parliamentary precinct and added new costs.

Rob Wright, assistant deputy minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) responsible for the modernization of Canada’s parliament buildings, told senators on Thursday that the federal government has “temporarily demobilized” more than 85 projects in occupied buildings within the precinct in order to align with provincial directives on construction work during the pandemic.

However, construction work in and around Centre Block and East Block continue, Wright told the Senate standing committee on internal economy, budgets and administration.

“We were able to keep these sites open because the overall size and the types of work undertaken on them helped to facilitate social distancing and compartmentalization,” he said.

Wright said the government has worked with industry to develop “stringent” health and safety protocols, and that workers have described construction as “one of the safest sites in the country.”

On April 4, the Ontario government ordered the closure of most construction sites, with some restrictions later loosened in early May. The Ford government on Thursday announced that all construction in the province can resume work on Tuesday.

Jennifer Garrett, director general of the Centre Block Rehabilitation Program at PSPC, told the committee that renovation of the building remains on track. Assessment efforts on the building’s condition and projects enabling future work in and around the building are largely complete.

But Wright said he anticipates additional costs for Parliament Hill’s rehabilitation due to the pandemic, as is the case with other construction in Canada. He said added costs come from efforts to compartmentalize the construction site, introducing more wash stations and washroom facilities and providing additional personal protective equipment.

Wright said it’s difficult to estimate the cost that COVID-19 has imposed up to now, but industry estimates suggest it would be a 5-per-cent impact based on other construction sites.

Both officials said in order to keep momentum going on the decade-long project, parliamentarians will have to offer feedback on specific details of the rehabilitation plan, which is aiming for an “integrated campus” that will connect key buildings in the precinct.

“We are at a critical juncture, requiring Parliament’s input to finalize design and determine a baseline cost schedule and scope,” Wright said.

Among other things, officials are seeking input regarding the size of the House of Commons chamber and an underground visitor welcome centre at the foot of Centre Block, as well as the arrangement of parliamentarians’ offices and committee rooms. This would help determine a final design and, with it, an estimated cost.

Garrett said officials also require guidance on whether or not to partially or fully infill Centre Block’s east courtyard in order to add additional office space for senators.

But unlike the House of Commons chamber, which will have to expand in size in order to accommodate more MPs in the years ahead, the Senate Chamber is set to remain intact with its existing footprint and limited interference with its heritage elements.

Getting input from MPs and senators may ultimately prove difficult given that the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the government’s focus toward the emergency response, disrupting the normal parliamentary calendar and preventing most MPs from being physically on Parliament Hill.

Wright said the size of the Parliament Hill project allowed for flexibility during the pandemic in prioritizing different work on the site and adjusting for any disruptions to the supply chain.

“On Centre Block, I think today we have 348 construction workers. That would be average before the pandemic. So we’ve been able to continue progress quite well,” he said.